Utilizing a service-oriented architecture to perform closed-loop diagnostics in network centric support environments

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is one of the latest technology enablers that supports closed-loop diagnostics in Network Centric Support Environments (NCSEs). SOA provides patterns for the architecture, design, implementation, deployment, and management of loosely coupled software services that support the requirements of business processes and software users regardless of the underlying platform or implementation. The focus of this paper will be to examine providing a SOA via Web services. More specifically, this paper will discuss an architecture for developing Web services that perform closed-loop diagnostics in military NCSEs. The military information technology infrastructure is comprised of many diverse systems that together provide to key personnel the processed information necessary to support our war-fighters. When new or upgraded systems are deployed, it is far too costly to rewrite all legacy applications. A more cost effective method is to take a System-of-Systems approach to provide a non-intrusive solution that blends well with existing support processes and leverages existing applications and their data stores. A SOA readily supports implementing a System-of-Systems solution to provide closed-loop diagnostics in NCSEs in which various components reside at multiple levels and within multiple domains. When utilizing a SOA to implement closed-loop diagnostics in NCSEs, there are several key ingredients in developing a suitable architecture. These ingredients include leveraging the architecture defined in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) STD 1232 -Artificial Intelligence Exchange and Service Tie to All Test Environments (AI-ESTATE) specification, leveraging standard data format specifications such as the IEEE STD P1636.1 Draft Trial-Use Standard for Software Interface for Maintenance Information Collection and Analysis (SIMICA): Exchanging Test Results and Session Information via the Extensible Markup Language (XML) specification, leveraging the XML transaction communication framework, ensuring information assurance compliance, and ensuring 24/7 system availability.